Typically, leaks are prevented in joints formed between surfaces by including a gasket, o-ring, or similar type of seal disposed between the surfaces to be adjoined. The adjoining surfaces may be pressed against each other with a force sufficient to compress the seal and prevent the flow of gases through the sealed joint. In some processes, however, fragile components, such as a quartz bell jar, must be mated with exhaust components, such as an exhaust manifold, where large forces may not be applied to the seal due to the fragile components. In such cases, misalignments that may occur due to tolerances in manufacturing and/or assembly of the components may result in leaks due to variations in the force applied to the seal. Such misalignment may be exacerbated, for example, where large sealing surfaces are utilized. The tolerance variations along the sealing surface may not be suitably compensated for by applying greater pressure to the seal, due to the fragile components, as discussed above. Therefore, leaks may result due to gaps or weak contact between the seal and the sealing surface.
As such, there is need in the art for an improved seal.